[radmjk]

Hello,
I am going to be acquiring a 2017 530i xdrive and I am interested in getting Apple carplay installed/activated? It does not appear to be available in the cars current state. It was my father’s vehicle and he recently passed away.

I’ve looked through the menus and I’m unable to find CarPlay

Any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance

[lanlilan]

If you don't see Carplay in your menu, you might try VIN decoding. It should identify if your car came with Carplay or is ready for it.

Look for Carplay preparation or wireless charging options from your VIN. If you have one or both of these options, that means your car has the wireless antenna needed for a stable wireless Carplay connection.

You could probably go to the dealer to enable Carplay for a cost if you have the 6CP Carplay preparation option. If you don't, there are also 3rd party services to enable it for a fraction of the cost but you'll want to install the antenna yourself. It involves removing your head unit.

[radmjk]

@Ianlilan Thank you for taking the time with a detailed explanation. Much appreciated!

[radmjk]

Hello,

Using mdecoder I found this, please see attached photo. Can you tell from this information if I have what I need for Car Play?

Thanks

[belsby]

Have you activated Apple Play on Connected drive web site?

https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/shop/ls/dp/Base_CarPlay_gb

[radmjk]

Thanks. I’m in the US, but I’ll look into that. I just got possession of the car yesterday actually. I have to switch the vehicle over to my account in connected drive still, was my dads car.

[radmjk]

I added the 530i to my account in the My BMW app. Then I went in the ConnectedDrive store and Apple CarPlay was available to purchase as an indefinite subscription for $300. So I went ahead and paid that and in about 10-15 minutes, Apple CarPlay was available in the vehicle.👍
Thanks for your guidance!

[lanlilan]

Great to hear you have Carplay now!